Star Chamber (PRO STAC8/163/9 Rich Harlakenden v Wm Eedies et al)

4.10.4Jas1 (Saturday 4 October 1606)

document 19100449

depositions taken at various houses taken at the house of Sam Brewer Earls Colne by Robt Honywood and Thos Waldegrave 4.10.4Jas1 Wm Strutte of Colchester miller 60yr about sworn said that Wm Eedies did desire him to hand him an indenture lease of Colneford Mill made many years since by the earl of Oxford to Hen Pullen which lease is ended two or three years since he sent the lease to Wm Eedies six months before its expiration but for what cause he borrowed it he knoweth not but has lately heard he borrowed it to make another by it after many denials made by the deponent Strutt Eedies said he thought he had another year of the lease to run and Strutt said he was so bad a man that he would forge a new lease if he was able and he being angry with the said Eedies he did at that time burn the indenture which had a seal of arms affixed to it which he thinks was the seal of the earl of Oxford when the lease was delivered back to him by Eedies it had neither label nor seal he was angry and asked why he had defaced the lease and Eedies answered that he had carried it in his pocket and broken the seal Eedies kept the indenture about a month before he gave it back he thinks he saw the new lease at Colne Mill shortly after the expiration of the old one and Eedies gave out that he had a new lease